We upped sticks from London and moved to Surrey seven years ago now so there aren’t many places we haven’t visited. Or at least have on our (ever expanding!) list. Somewhere that has completely passed us by however is The Sculpture Park which we only discovered this summer.
Located in Churt near Farnham, it sits in ten acres of arboretum and wildlife inhabited water gardens providing an ideal setting to display both modern and contemporary sculptures. The Sculpture Park is said to have the finest and most extensive collection with 800 sculptures by 150 artists. A series of landscaping projects have seen The Sculpture Park transform into an idyllic setting with two miles of pathways through woodland in a natural valley. There are also three lakes which are fed by two natural springs.
On arrival we saw a sign that stated only “well behaved quiet children” were allowed access. While the Sculpture Park seems like it might be the ideal environment for kids, it is an outdoor art gallery. The sculptures for sale range from just shy of £1,000 to over £200,000 so you can of course understand the curators sentiment. I did consider heading back to the car but POD’s a creative soul and she was itching to have a look at the sculptures. As was I. The Sculpture Park specialises in the sale of 20th century, modern and contemporary sculptures which are largely for gardens, interior designers or collectors and investors. What we really liked about it is the variety of sculptures on offer and how each was presented in this wonderful setting.
The material, style and size each artist used to create the sculptures varied enormously so you never knew what was coming next. From the “Large Pollinator Bees and Butterflies” by Ruth Moilliet which is made from stainless steel and anodised aluminium to Doctor Foster (no not that one!) by Paul Richardson which is made from galvanised steel and powder coated and the seriously impressive Wyvern Dragon by James Doran-Webb which is made from wood, stainless steel, steel and stone. There were many sculptures I could have quite happily purchased had I been able to. What’s lovely about the Sculpture Park is that the pieces are continually changing and we’ll definitely be heading back for sure.
There are three coloured ‘trails’ to follow at the Sculpture Park which we were told would take two hours to complete. While POD was really good and didn’t run, we did walk round fairly quickly as she couldn’t wait to see what was around each corner. It was honestly surprise after surprise after surprise with too many intakes of breath to mention. Many of the pieces we saw really were quite remarkable and you could easily see them in your garden or home. Others were a little strange but it’s nice the Sculpture Park caters for all tastes – and budget.
We managed to see all exhibits in the space of an hour which was quite something. The sculptures are fairly close together though so were were able to enjoy the surroundings and see the art gallery in its entirety. POD was very impressed and it was great for her to see the range given she’s thoroughly enjoys all things creative. The Sculpture Park has a lovely calming feel about it too, more so obviously if you’re visiting without kids. How it’s passed us by over the last seven years remains to be seen but at least we found it. Now to embark on a master plan so I can afford some of those amazing sculptures!
What an interesting place. I never knew this existed. If I had of known, when we lived in Bracknell I would have certainly paid it a visit. Bit further away now, though if up that way I will keep it on my agenda. Thanks for sharing about it